


Saltwater

by jonsastan (lilzipop)



Series: Meet Cute Au [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Fisherman!Jon, Jon and the Starks Are Not Related, Meet-Cute, mermaid!sansa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 19:04:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20345167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilzipop/pseuds/jonsastan
Summary: “Always sleepy, huh boy?” Jon asked the dog. In response Ghost’s eyes fixed on the net that was being pulled up and over the side of the boat. Jon smiled, but the smile disappeared from his face when he heard a desperate gasping cough coming from behind him.He spun and looked for whoever could be making that sound, that sound he’d heard when someone almost drowned, of water needing to be expelled from the lungs. It wasn't until he glanced up that he saw red hair and a pale arm tangled in with fish and netting.





	Saltwater

**Author's Note:**

> Magical Meet cute!  
Please excuse my mistakes, my work is unbeta'd.

Jon looked out over the sea as he manoeuvred his small vessel to the buoy that marked one of his nets. The sun was almost peaking over the horizon as he reached over the boat and attached the mechanical lifter to the net and flipped the switch, letting the motor take the weight as it dragged the net up and over the boat. 

Jon liked his job. He spent his mornings with Ghost emptying and re-setting the nets before heading back to shore and dropping off his catch of the day at the local restaurants. He wasn’t going to be a business tycoon, but that was his father’s ambition, not his.

He reached out and petted Ghost’s ears. The dog raised his head and yawned. Jon smiled. 

“Always sleepy, huh boy?” He asked the dog. In response Ghost’s eyes fixed on the net that was being pulled up and over the side of the boat. Jon smiled, but the smile disappeared from his face when he heard a desperate gasping cough coming from behind him.

He spun and looked for whoever could be making that sound, that sound he’d heard when someone almost drowned, of water needing to be expelled from the lungs. It wasn't until he glanced up that he saw red hair and a pale arm tangled in with fish and netting. 

“Fuck.” He swore. He grabbed the knife from his belt and slit the underside of the net, not really caring that he’d have to buy a new one. The fish spilled over the deck of the small boat and the woman followed with a thud. 

She was still coughing and gagging and soon brought up far too much water before taking a deep breath of air. It was only when Jon moved to help her stand did he notice. 

“What the fuck?” He muttered. His eyes followed her long red hair, down her spine, over a slender waist and the dip of her back to a blue-grey scaled tail. Her eyes turned to him, wide with wonder and a hint of fear. They were the colour of a storm at sea. 

“Thank you for freeing me.” She said, her voice a soft and gentle caress. “You must be a brave knight.” 

“I’m not a knight.” Jon said, without really noticing what he was saying, his eyes fixed on her tail. 

_ She has a fucking tail. _

“Oh. The last human I spoke to was a knight serving a Lord Greyjoy.” She toyed with a strand of her hair, causing Jon to notice it was only those auburn strands that covered her breasts. 

“When was that?” Jon asked looking away from her body, trying to focus on her face.

_ She’s beautiful. _

“Oh, not so very long ago. A few centuries perhaps.” She pushed her hair from her face and smiled at him. 

“A few centuries.” Jon whispered. She was truly beautiful. Her skin had a soft pearlescent sheen to it, her hair a vivid auburn, her fingers long and slender with a thin scaly webbing between them. She did not look at if she was centuries old, she looked younger than him. “How- who- do you-” He tried to begin speaking but was stumbling over his words. It was only when he looked up did he notice her skin had become marred by goosebumps.

“You’re cold.’ He stated, before slipping his own jacket off his shoulder and crouching amongst his catch of the day to wrap it around her shoulders, glad that her breasts were now was covered.

“You’re as chivalrous as a knight.” She said, her eyes following his movements. Jon felt himself blush slightly at this, remembering games of Monsters and Maidens played as a child. 

“Let’s get you warm.” He looked down at her tail then back to her. “May I?” He asked. She nodded. He slipped an arm behind her back and one in the bend of her tail and lifted her. She was surprisingly light in his arms. Her scales did not have the fine sandpaper texture of most fish, but were smooth like a stone in a river. 

Her carefully moved her into the small cabin of his boat and placed her on the only seat.

“Oh!” She exclaimed. He turned and saw Ghost had followed them into the small space. “You have a wolf.” Jon chuckled.

“Not a wolf, just a dog. But a good dog.” He ruffled Ghost’s ears. “You can pet him. He’s friendly.” Sansa hesitantly reached out, allowing Ghost to smell her fingers before she ran them through his fur. Ghost moved closer to her, eventually leaning against her tail. 

“He’s a friendly little wolf.” She said, smiling. 

“He’s a good boy.” There was silence. 

“Thank you for your cloak.” she said, patting the garment around her shoulder.s 

“It’s the least I can do after accidentally catching you.” 

“I was at fault there. I was looking for something for my sister. It is her name day soon and she has always loved the world of men, since she loved a lord of storms, and did not notice I had been ensnared until it was too late.” 

“Can- Can I ask you something?” Jon said, watching her.

“Of course.”

“How can you breath?” She let out a laugh. 

“Most of my people breath both air and water. The transition can be rather painful so we do not tend to venture above the water.” She smiled at him and held out her hand. “Come, see.” Jon moved toward her and let her guide his hand to her neck. Jon was suddenly very aware that it was only his jacket that shielded her naked form from his gaze. He felt the smooth skin there and watched as she took in a deep breath before closing her mouth and Jon felt the air pass his fingers. He was small slits open at her neck.

“Gills!” He exclaimed, moving to see better. She tilted her head to allow him a better view. Soon he felt her hand tug gently at his other hand, pulling it into her view. 

“You have no webbing.” She said in a hushed tone, one finger of hers gently tracing the spaces between his fingers. She turned to him. 

“May I ask you a question?”

“Aye.” He said, acutely aware that his hand was still on her slender neck. 

“Can you swim?” He let out a laugh. 

“Aye, quite well.” He paused. “For a human, I suppose.” She smiled back at him. 

“This is the longest I’ve spoken to a human.” She said, her smile taking on conspiratorial tones. 

“I’ve never spoken to a-” Jon paused not sure what to call her.  _ A mermaid, a siren, a water nymph? _

“Mermaid.” She supplied.

“A mermaid before.” Jon finished. “I’m Jon.” 

“I’m Sansa.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sansa.” He carefully removed his hand from her neck and offered it to her. She glanced at it and then at him. He moved and took her hand in his, shaking it. “This is how humans greet each other.” 

“Oh.” Sansa shook her hand his hand back. “Merfolk rub tails.” She explained still shaking his hand. He gently stopped the shaking. 

“That might be a bit difficult for me.” She laughed and it was a beautiful sound. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are my bread and butter. Feel free to check out my tumblr (I post edits and shiz there) jonsastan


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